Jason Mraz – YES!

Review

Now, "YES!" by Jason Mraz is one of those albums where you can almost feel the sunshine on your face just listenin’ to it. He teams up with Raining Jane, and between 'em, there’s all sorts of acoustic magic woven with these lyrics about love—love for people, love for life, just about anything that makes your heart feel light. Mike Mogis helped out with the producing, so you know the sound is honest and grounded, nothin’ too fancy, just a real warm vibe from start to finish. You give "Love Someone" a listen and it’s like sitting on the porch swing with a grin, just soaking up all the goodness.

I remember sitting out on my little back deck this past summer, letting all fourteen tracks play through while I nursed a cold sweet tea. There’s something real comforting about how Jason and that band managed to keep things upbeat and welcoming, but also give things enough heart that you’ll want to come back to it on quiet evenings. At a bit over 51 minutes, it’s long enough to settle in with, but never wears out its welcome. For me anyhow, "YES!" really highlights how Jason Mraz has grown as a singer and a pal to the folks he plays with—and you can’t help but appreciate the pure, positive spirit of these songs. - Mia